• Vows not to be ‘trapped’ by ruling coalition’s plan to hold elections in September
• Asks supporters to come out if Supreme Court order for Punjab polls not honoured

LAHORE: On the eve of make-or-break talks between government and PTI delegations today (Tuesday), Imran Khan vowed not to be ‘trapped’ by the government’s plans to hold elections in September and warned that his party would take to the streets if the Supreme Court’s order to hold polls in Punjab on May 14 was violated.

“The PTI will not get itself trapped in the ‘imported government’ plan of holding elections in September,” he declared, while addressing a Labour Day rally at Nasser Bagh from his bullet-proof vehicle.

“If the government does not agree to our demand of assemblies’ dissolution, then PTI will approach the Supreme Court to ensure that general elections to the Punjab Assembly are held on May 14, to be followed by polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, within the ambit of the Constitution,” he added.

Mr Khan’s remarks came after a government minister termed his ultimatum “impracticable”. On Sunday, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal had warned that PTI would be the “ultimate loser” if negotiations failed because general elections may be “delayed for a year under a constitutional provision”.

He said the “handlers” had attacked his residence as well as the house of PTI president Chaudhry Parvez Elahi besides detaining party leaders and workers.

On Monday, Mr Khan re-asserted that his team would ask the rulers to dissolve the national and provincial assemblies before May 14 so that general elections could be held simultaneously.

Claiming that the “imported government” is planning to present the budget for the next year before dissolving the assemblies and indicating to defy the Constitution and Supreme Court’s verdict by not holding the provincial election on May 14, he said the whole nation would be brought out onto roads to ensure that rule of law prevails in the country.

“I am warning the thieves and their handlers, the whole nation will come out on roads and ensure that Pakistan is not made a Banana Republic, where might is right and weaker segments of society have no rights,” the former prime minister said.

Within the next week, he said, the nation would clearly see whether there was rule of law or ‘might is right’ in Pakistan. PTI has been peacefully protesting for the last one year just because the already shattered economic conditions could not sustain any kind of disruption.

“If the Constitution is overruled by the present imported government then nothing will be left to protect,” he warned, adding that no investors would come to Pakistan to invest and boost the economy.

Mr Khan pointed out that PTI was holding negotiations with the government on the instructions of the Supreme Court to reach an early consensus date for joint national elections.

He hailed the “massive” response by Lahore for the party’s May Day rally.

“Let this be a warning to those who are thinking of defying SC and Constitution,” he said, adding: “Our people will not tolerate the mafia violating SC orders and Constitution by running away from elections.”

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2023